Egypt Deports Eritrean
Refuges-Some to Their
Death
The Washington-DC based
human rights group,
International Christian
Concern (ICC)
www.persecution.org
has learned that
Egyptian authorities
deported 400 Eritrean
refugees last week on
June 11 and 12. ICC also
received reports of the
deportation additional
Eritreans after June
12.
The deportees face
torture, prison and even
execution on returning
to Eritrea. When Malta
deported over 200
Eritreans in 2002, they
were imprisoned and
tortured, and some were
executed, according to
eyewitness reports.
Eritrean Christians who
had fled their country
following a clamp down
on Christians are among
the deportees. According
to ICC’s annual Hall of
Shame Report for 2008,
Eritrea is one of the
world’s top ten worst
Christian persecutors.
han human, and ‘do not
deserve sunlight and
fresh air’ or any kind
of humane treatment,”
said Elizabeth Chyrum,
Director of Human Rights
Concern Eritrea in a
letter she wrote to
Egyptian President Hosni
Mubarak.
Eritrean Christian
refugees living in Yemen
also face similar
discrimination for their
faith. In a letter to
ICC, some of the
refugees said,
“Sadly, many of us have
to lie and pretend as a
Muslims [sic] and in
many occasions were
forced to pray the
Muslim’s prayers. In
most cases,
unfortunately, a
Christian has to lie
about his/her religion
to be employed and if it
was discovered that they
were indeed, Christians,
they would be
immediately fired.”
ICC’s Regional Manager
for Africa, Darara Gubo,
stated, “Egypt has
to honor its obligations
under international law
not to deport refugees
to countries where they
could face torture and
other violations of
their rights due to
their religion or
political opinion. The
UNHC
UNHCR
Mr Antonio Guterres
United Nations High
Commissioner for
Refugees
Switzerland
Phone number: 41 22 739
8111
###
ICC is a Washington-DC
based human rights
organization that exists
to help persecuted
Christians worldwide.
ICC delivers
humanitarian aid, trains
and supports persecuted
pastors, raises
awareness in the US
regarding the problem of
persecution, and is an
advocate for the
persecuted on Capitol
Hill and the State
Department. For
additional information
or for an interview,
contact ICC at
800-422-5441.
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